Key case



y 1951 H. c. CRAIG ET AL 2,559,946

KEY CASE Filed Aug. 14, 1946 Inventor l/sz N 6. (kw/6. PV/LLl/iM KEENPatented July 1 O, 195l UNITED ST S PATENT j. OFFICE KEY gAsE Helen (J.Craig and William E. Keen, Miami, Fla. 7

Application August 14, 194 Serial No. 690,580 1 lClaim. (o1. '7o 456)The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in keycases for conveniently carrying keys in a readily accessible position.

An important object of the invention is to provide a key casein whichthe keys are normally retained in a concealed position in the casetogether with means for swinging the keys outwardly into an exposedposition for conveniently selecting one of the keys.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter of simple and practical construction, which is neat andattractive in appearance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture andotherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing one of the keys in projectedposition.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the key ejecting lever in positionfor projecting the keys from the case.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View taken on a line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on a line 4-4 of Figure1, and

Figure 5 is a perspective view.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose ofillustration we have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the inventionthe numeral 5 designates the key case generally which comprises a pairof side plates 6 of substantially oval shape and having theirlongitudinal side edges bent outwardly and upon itself to provideflanges l spaced from the outer surface of the plate and with the inneredges of the flanges of the plates spaced from each other to provide aslot 8 therebetween.

A rivet or the like 9 connects one end of the plates to each other andon which a plurality of keys Ill are swingably mounted for swinging intoand out of position between the plates, the keys being concealed betweenthe plates when in a retracted position and the keys projecting from oneend of the plates when the latter are swung outwardly from the case.

A key ejecting lever is designated generally at II and is of hollowconstruction and with its free end rounded as indicated at I2 to conformto the contour of the plates 6 when the lever is in its closed position.The other end of the lever I I is open as indicated at I3 and is pivotedat each side to the inside of the plates 6 by means of rivets or thelike l4.

One side edge of the lever II at its open end is cut away as indicatedat I5 whereby to permit entrance of the keys It into the open end of thelever when the lever is moved into its closed position between "theplates 6.

A corner I6 at the other side edge of the lever and at the open endthereof is positioned to swing against one edge of the keys II) when thelever is swung outwardly from the case as shown in Figure 2 of thedrawings whereby to swing the keys outwardly from the case into positionfor conveniently selecting one of the keys and to thus grip the key andinsert the same into its key-hole opening.

The lever II is retained in its closed position between the plates 6 bymeans of outwardly pressed knobs I! at the sides of the lever adapted toenter openings I8 in the plates 6 adjacent the ends thereof oppositefrom the rivet 9. The knobs I! also project into the slots 8 andfunction as stops at one end of the slots to retain coins I9 in positionunder the flanges I at the sides of the case, the heads or ends 20 ofthe rivet 9 likewise functioning as stops at the other ends of the slots8 to prevent accidental displacement of the coins.

It will be apparent that upon swinging the lever I I outwardly towardone side of the case that the keys Ill will be projected toward anopposite side thereof for selecting one of the keys and the outwardswinging movement of the lever will also remove the knobs I! to enablewithdrawal of one of the coins I9 from their side of the case. Also uponclosing of the lever I I with keys therein, said keys will prevent saidlever from being swung outwardly of the opposite side of the case. Thisprevents projection of the keys out of said opposite side of the case ifthe lever is accidentally swung in closing past its proper closingposition. Upon closing the lever II the knobs I! will snap into theopenings I8 of the plates 6.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of theconstruction, operation and advantages of the device will be quiteapparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed descriptionaccordingly is deemed unnecessary. V

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shownand. described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same issusceptible to certain changes fully compre-.

hended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scopeof the appended claim.

We claim as our invention:

A key case comprising a pair of opposed spaced apart plates, a pin atone end of said plates securing the same together in parallel relation,said pin being adapted to have keys pivoted thereon between the platesfor swinging outwardly from between the plates, and a hollow leverpivoted between said plates for swinging into and out of parallelrelation to said plates, said lever having an opening at one endextending part way along 7 one side edge of the lever whereby said levermay be swung into parallel relation to the plates with:

keys to swing the same out from betweensaid plates and out of said endof the lever upon swinging of said lever in one direction out ofparallelrelation to the plates, said keys when in 4 serted in said end of thelever preventing swinging of said keys out of said end of the lever byswinging of said lever in the opposite direction out from between saidplates.

HELEN C. CRAIG. WILLIAM E. KEEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Olson June 7, 1949

